BRITISH ATHLETICS ADD FIVE TO TEAM FOR LONDON 2017

British Athletics has today announced the addition of five athletes to its team for next month’s IAAF World Championships in London from 4-13 August 2017.

Currently 81 in total, the London 2017 team will be the largest ever to represent British Athletics at a World Championships.

After accepting official invites from the IAAF, British Athletics has added long jumpers Shara Proctor (coach: Rana Reider) and Jazmin Sawyers (Kelly Sotherton) to the squad. Proctor is the British long jump recorder holder and 2015 world championship silver medallist, whilst Sawyers won European silver in 2016.

Performance Director for British Athletics, Neil Black said: “Shara is a world medallist and was one jump away from being world champion in 2015. If she can put a good series of jumps together there is no reason why she can’t once again be challenging for the podium.

“Jazmin is a championship performer. She made the Olympic final last year and walked away with silver medals at the Commonwealth Games and European Championships. We look forward to seeing what she can produce in London.”

On the track, Rio 2016 Olympian Lennie Waite (Jim Bevan) has been selected for the 3000m steeplechase, Marc Scott (Steve Gulley) in the 5000m and Jess Turner (Nick Dakin) in the 400m hurdles.

Based on world top 30 rankings, any potential IAAF invites were also discussed and may also be accepted, as/when received from IAAF, provided the athlete(s) concerned shows current form/fitness. These selections will be announced when appropriate.

British Athletics also confirmed that, reigning long jump world champion, Greg Rutherford (Dan Pfaff) has been forced to withdraw from the squad after failing to recover from an ankle ligament injury.

“In the last few days I have had to accept an unfortunate reality. I did everything I could, but a string of injuries at the worst possible time means I will be unable to defend my world title in London” said Rutherford. “With an incredible start to the year in training, and very promising early season form, I have had a difficult series of setbacks as the season progressed. Most recently, a badly damaged ankle ligament and a sportsman’s hernia, really put paid to my plans. The injuries have taken longer to heal than we hoped, and I have been unable to even jump at all in training, let alone compete.

“I am truly gutted. That stadium is such a special place for me, I am so devastated that I won’t be competing in front of the best fans in the world, in the stadium that changed my life. But, I’ll definitely be there to support my British team mates and soak up what will be an amazing atmosphere, and an amazing championships.

“My focus will now turn to 2018 and becoming a three time European champion on the trot, something no long jumper has ever done before.”

Added Black: “Greg is one of only a few British athletes to complete the ‘Grand Slam’ of medals, but that won’t make missing London any easier. He desperately wanted to defend his world title in front of the home crowd, but unfortunately his injury hasn’t cleared up in time and the hard but sensible decision had to be made to withdraw.”

Reigning 60m European Athletics Indoor champion, Richard Kilty (Kevin Kilty) has also been forced to withdraw from the 4x100m relay squad, after breaking a finger on his changeover hand.

The British Athletics team for the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London:

TEAM CAPTAIN:
Eilidh Doyle (Brian Doyle)

MEN:
100m:
Reece Prescod (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo)
James Dasaolu (Lloyd Cowan)
CJ Ujah (Stuart McMillan)

200m:
Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (Dennis Shaver)
Danny Talbot (Benke Blomkvist)
Zharnel Hughes (Patrick Dawson)

400m:
Matt Hudson-Smith (Tony Hadley)
Dwayne Cowan (Lloyd Cowan)
Martyn Rooney (Graham Hedman)

800m:
Elliot Giles (Jon Bigg)
Guy Learmonth (Henry Gray)
Kyle Langford (Jon Bigg)

1500m:
Chris O’Hare (Terrence Mahon)
Josh Kerr (Joe Franklin)
Jake Wightman (Geoff Wightman)

5000m:
Mo Farah (Alberto Salazar)
Andrew Butchart (Derek Easton)
Marc Scott (Steve Gulley)

10,000m:
Mo Farah (Alberto Salazar)

3000m steeplechase:
Rob Mullett (Andrew and Amy Begley)
Zak Seddon (Jeff Seddon)

110m hurdles:
Andrew Pozzi (Benke Blomkvist)
David King (James Hillier)
David Omoregie (Benke Blomkvist)

400m hurdles:
Jack Green (self-coached)

High Jump:
Robbie Grabarz (Fuzz Caan)

Triple Jump:
Nathan Fox (Tosin Oke)

Hammer:
Nick Miller (Tore Gustafsson)

Decathlon:
Ashley Bryant (Aston Moore)

20km Race Walk:
Tom Bosworth (Andi Drake)
Callum Wilkinson (Andi Drake)

50km Race Walk:
Dominic King (George Nibre)

Marathon Men:
Callum Hawkins (coach: Robert Hawkins)
Josh Griffiths (self-coached)
Andrew Davies (Steve Vernon)

4x100m relay:
CJ Ujah (Stuart McMillan)
Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (Dennis Shaver)
Danny Talbot (Benke Blomkvist)
Zharnel Hughes (Patrick Dawson)
Adam Gemili (Rana Reider)
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (Benke Blomkvist)
Reece Prescod (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo)

4x400m relay:
Matt Hudson-Smith (Tony Hadley)
Dwayne Cowan (Lloyd Cowan)
Martyn Rooney (Graham Hedman)
Delano Williams (Neil Harrison)
Rabah Yousif (Carol Williams)
Jack Green (self-coached)
Cameron Chalmers (James Hillier)

WOMEN:
100m:
Asha Philip (Steve Fudge)
Daryll Neita (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo)
Desiree Henry (Rana Reider)

200m:
Shannon Hylton (Ryan Freckleton)
Bianca Williams (Lloyd Cowan)
Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie)

400m:
Zoey Clark (Eddie McKenna)
Emily Diamond (Jared Deacon)
Anyika Onuora (Rana Reider)

800m:
Shelayna Oskan-Clarke (Jon Bigg)
Adelle Tracey (Craig Winrow)
Lynsey Sharp (Terrence Mahon)

1500m:
Laura Muir (Andy Young)
Laura Weightman (Steve Cram)
Jessica Judd (Mick Judd)
Sarah McDonald (David Harmer)

5000m:
Steph Twell (Mick Woods)
Eilish McColgan (Liz McColgan-Nuttall)
Laura Muir (Andy Young)

10,000m:
Beth Potter (Mick Woods)
Jessica Martin (Josep Carballude)
Charlotte Taylor (Helen Lehman-Winters)

3000m steeplechase:
Rosie Clarke (David Harmer)
Lennie Waite (Jim Bevan)

100m hurdles:
Tiffany Porter (Jeff Porter)

400m hurdles:
Eilidh Doyle (Brian Doyle)
Jess Turner (Nick Dakin)

High Jump:
Morgan Lake (Fuzz Caan)
Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Bertrand Valcin)

Pole Vault:
Holly Bradshaw (Scott Simpson)

Long Jump:
Lorraine Ugen (Shawn Jackson)
Shara Proctor (Rana Reider)
Jazmin Sawyers (Kelly Sotherton)

Discus:
Jade Lally (Andrew Neal)

Hammer:
Sophie Hitchon (Tore Gustafsson)

Heptathlon:
Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Bertrand Valcin)

20km Race Walk:
Gemma Bridge (Mark Wall)
Bethan Davies (Andi Drake)

Marathon Women:
Alyson Dixon (self-coached)
Charlotte Purdue (Nic Bideau)
Tracy Barlow (Nick Anderson)

4x100m relay:
Asha Philip (Steve Fudge)
Daryll Neita (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo)
Desiree Henry (Rana Reider)
Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie)
Shannon Hylton (Ryan Freckleton)
Bianca Williams (Lloyd Cowan)
Corinne Humphreys (Darren Braithwaite)

4x400m
Zoey Clark (Eddie McKenna)
Emily Diamond (Jared Deacon)
Anyika Onuora (Rana Reider)
Eilidh Doyle (Brian Doyle)
Laviai Nielsen (Frank Adams)
Perri Shakes-Drayton (Chris Zah)